Bills Beat Blog

Bills hopeful Hairston can get back quickly

by Joe Buscaglia,posted Jul 27 2013 5:00PM

Entering training camp in 2013, the Buffalo Bills have only one player that will miss practice time to start off the festivities in Pittsford, NY.

Offensive tackle Chris Hairston, who some consider to be the favorite to win the right tackle job, will start camp at St. John Fisher College on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. It's said to be a lower-body injury (no, this isn't hockey), but the Bills are hoping for the best with the third-year player.

Unlike the regular season PUP list, being on the preseason list means that a player can come off at any time once he is medically cleared. Whereas for the regular season counterpart, a player would have to wait until six weeks of the season had passed before getting off that designation.

"I'm hoping that he comes back soon," said Head Coach Doug Marrone. "I'm not a doctor, but I'm sitting there thinking to myself that, that was the first question I asked also. Can we pull that tag off at any time? So I think as soon as the doctors feel comfortable with it, we'll get him out there and then start working him in."

Hairston will be in a battle with Erik Pears for the starting right tackle job when he does get back on the field.